Monday, May 16, was our last day on the French side. We had a week here and finally decided to try the Dutch side to see if that might be a future option for longer stays.

We spent another perfect day at Orange Fever, had my usual Tuna Tartar with fries and said our goodbyes to JC.

We struggled where to have our last French side meal about whether to go back to Grand Case or stay in the village but laziness won out.

Dinner was La Trattoria in Orient Village. I had the ceasar salad with anchovies and it was large enough for two. The salad was lightly and appropriately dressed which made for a nice start to the meal. They had beef lasagna as a special which was a shallow plate of cheese and goodness. Definitely a different take on the dish since it was thinner than I was used to but packed with flavor. Dessert was the Tiramisu, light creamy and plenty of cocoa powder. The meal was accompanied by the house Bordeaux which paired nicely with the lasagna as well as the Tiramisu.

We had been to La Trattoria before and my wife didn't have the best experience with her veal dish. Fortunately, she tried the veal with a lemon sauce this time and was very pleased. The veal was moist and it was served with a side of pasta with olive oil and garlic that was simple yet elegant.

A good way to end our French side stay!

Tuesday was moving day. We've rented a AirBnb on Simpson Bay that is literally on the water about 50 yards from Mary's Boon. Check-in wasn't until 3pm but we needed to swap our newer Hyundai i20 for a older model car with Lesley. Evidently, this car is highly prized among auto thieves and our parking arrangements aren't secure here so we swapped it out for a older Nissan Versa, The car definitely blends in well with the other cars around the island. Joking aside, the car's a/c works and it gets us back and forth to beaches and dinners. I can honestly say I've never had a breakdown on any of the cars I've rented from Kenny's regardless of their outward appearance.

We arrived at Karakter's by 10:30 am and spent the day relaxing to surf and vibes that is what makes Karakter's a relaxing spot. It's much less windy over on this side of the island but the surf is still rough enough to knock people down as they try to exit the water. You would think I'd get tired of Tuna tartar but I just don't. Lunch was another fine rendition of my favorite dish along with excellent fries. Part of our morning ritual that I've been leaving out is our drink orders in the morning. I get a Bloody Mary (spicy) and my wife gets a Pina Colada. I've noticed over the years that what constitutes a Bloody Mary on the French Side is more tomato-ee and less balanced with other spices than I'm use to. The exception is the FBBC Bloody Mary. They get it right every time! The reason I bring this up is because the Bloody Mary I got at Karakter's is spot-on good and spicy!

Check-in at 3pm was self-service and easy. The place is very very nice! It's in a older two story building with I believe 6 units. Our rental is a one bedroom upstairs facing the ocean and very appropriately furnished. Nice little balcony overlooking Simpson Bay and waves crashing at the door step.....perfect! I'll share the address and link if anyone wants to see after we depart on Friday. I think it was $195/night but after you add the cleaning and service fees it becomes $275 a night for a 3 night stay.

My wife was feeling a little over-done-in-the-sun this evening so we had a pizza delivered from Pizza Del Sol. Thin crust pepperoni and mushroom, good balance of sauce and toppings but not charred enough for my liking. What I did like was it literally arrived within 10 minutes of me making the phone call. It was a good way to end our first day on the Dutch side.